Rio fly line

[Buzzy]

I had a first today - after hiking close to a mile and half with my float tube, I kicked off shore and started stripping line off my reel. Someone taught me, 30 or 40 or more years ago, that when doing this, if you take a few seconds and stretch that section out, you can minimize slinky coils. When I had about 25 feet of line out and started to stretch the line, the "blankety blank" Rio Grand WF6F line broke. In half. Completely. Man, I was not happy. It's safe to say I was pissed off.

My backup was a second rod with an intermediate line. My backup backup was my friend Engee to the rescue. While I was fuming, he said "give me your rod". Next thing I know he's tied a nifty square knot in the blankety blank Rio Grand WF6F and I had a semi-functional floating line as my backup to my backup. Thanks Randy!

Hello Cortland, hello Scientific Anglers, hello any line other than Rio.

For you bobber haters, the bobbers went down.

 

[Stonedfish]

I called Rio when my line broke. Their customer service gal told me their lines never break. OK!
SF

 

[Jake Watrous]

I called Rio when my line broke. Their customer service gal told me their lines never break. OK!
SF(

She must be new. With the exception of my Leviathan series lines, which get used 3-5x a year, max, I’ve never had a RIO line not break (coating cracks) within a few months of buying it. Coastal Quick Shooter has been the worst offender.

First time it happened I was shocked because a lot of folks swear by that line. Rio customer service sent me a new line because “it never happens”. That one cracked the first month I had it. Called Rio. They sent me a replacement because ”it never happens”. That one cracked the first month. Called Rio. They sent me a replacement. It lived in a drawer until I gave it to someone on the old forum.

 

[RCF]

Surprised Far Bank, owners of Sage and Redington ---> quality products, hasn't improved RIO products.

 

[Stonedfish]

She must be new.

She might have been. After telling me their lines never break, she went on to tell me professional guides replace their lines every year. I kindly explained that I wasn’t a professional guide with a pro deal and that after paying $100.00 for a line I took good care of, I expected it to last longer than a year. The line that broke on me was also the Coastal QuickSnapper…..
SF

 

[jaredoconnor]

All products are going to have occasional defects and such. How customer service responds is everything. After my last interaction with Far Bank customer service, I decided to boycott Redington, Rio and Sage.

 

[troutpocket]

I’ve broken several lines from most of the major brands but usually after I knowingly abused them. Stepped on them repeatedly, got them pinched under a boat seat, etc. When those lines fail, it’s on me. The only lines that have broken in what I would consider normal use are Rio.

 

[Brute]

I've only broken one fly line so far...an SA 10wt after it wrapped around a coral head with a sizable GT on the other end...it was worth it.

 

[Pez Vela]

Sorry to hear you broke a line, Buzzy! I only have a couple RIO lines and checked them over (and stretched) this morning... still good to go. Between fresh and saltwater lines, I have 15 to 20, some long past the shelf life, and only recall a SA, full sink line with cracks. Good time to start fishing silk lines, but they require a lot of maintenance.

 

[Chonay]

Bummer! i would be so mad too.
I have had that happen with my Rio T stuff sinktip material... SNAP!!
Must be the core of the lines is defective sometimes?

 

[Merle]

When I first got into the PS beach scene about 20 years ago the go to line everyone was using was the Rio Aqualux clear intermediate. So I sprung for one and my first day out, it snapped in two as I was double hauling a cast. To be fair I wasn’t using a stripping basket and I may have caught the line on a barnacle encrusted rock, but boy was that a knee to the nutsack.

Since these were / are mono-core lines splicing is not as easy as with a hollow core line. But I used some hollow 35# braid to splice the ends together and added two nail knots on each side. Then I thinned down some aqua-seal and built up 2-3 thin coats to try to smooth it out.

It bugged the hell out of me hearing and feeling that splice go through the guides each time but it worked, and I even caught a few pinks with it that year.

 

[jasmillo]

I’ve had one break stretching, one break trying to pop a 10lb leader when snagged, and my favorite, a CQS snap landing a 14 inch rezzie.

I’ve also had multiple crack. I’m trying to ween myself off the OBS’s but they keep replacing them and I do love them for certain applications.

 

[clarkman]

I’m trying to ween myself off the OBS’s but they keep replacing them and I do love them for certain applications.

They are such a sweet taper and absolutely perform though....when they're not falling apart. I did grab a couple for when I head down to Baja.

 

[Buzzy]

I’ve had one break stretching, one break trying to pop a 10lb leader when snagged, and my favorite, a CQS snap landing a 14 inch rezzie.

I’ve also had multiple crack. I’m trying to ween myself off the OBS’s but they keep replacing them and I do love them for certain applications.

Ya know, I don't mind a line cracking with lots of use - but give me more than a year or two out of a line. I don't have the date written on my Airflo SixthSense (WF6/7S7) box but I'm guessing it's at least five years old. The hangmarkers aren't as bright as they were new but the line has no cracks in it and it gets fished dozens of times a year.

 

[Engee]

I’ve broken several lines from most of the major brands but usually after I knowingly abused them. Stepped on them repeatedly, got them pinched under a boat seat, etc. When those lines fail, it’s on me. The only lines that have broken in what I would consider normal use are Rio.

Great. I just bought a new Rio Extreme Indicator line. I don't fish as much as many on the forum but I will definitely keep an eye on it.

 

[Jake Watrous]

Ya know, I don't mind a line cracking with lots of use - but give me more than a year or two out of a line. I don't have the date written on my Airflo SixthSense (WF6/7S7) box but I'm guessing it's at least five years old. The hangmarkers aren't as bright as they were new but the line has no cracks in it and it gets fished dozens of times a year.

At one point it was the case, and I think it's still true, that Airflo uses a different plastic than RIO or SA(/Orvis). Their lines aren’t always the thinnest, but they sure seem more durable. My one remaining Airflo 40+ line has a few hundred beach sessions on it and when I looked at it this morning its still going strong—which is a good thing because I can’t find 40+ anywhere.

 

[Stonedfish]

At one point it was the case, and I think it's still true, that Airflo uses a different plastic than RIO or SA(/Orvis). Their lines aren’t always the thinnest, but they sure seem more durable. My one remaining Airflo 40+ line has a few hundred beach sessions on it and when I looked at it this morning its still going strong—which is a good thing because I can’t find 40+ anywhere.

Rio and SA use PVC while Airflo uses Polyurethane. I agree, the Airflo lines I’ve had have been super durable.
If you contact MayFly, they can get you 40+ lines.
SF

 

[Zak]

Just as a counterpoint, I have mostly Rio lines and have never had one break. But, I do not fish as often as many here. My older Rio DT lines have lots of cracks, but I keep fishing them.

 

[krusty]

Not FF related, but I can't count the number of times in my former employed life (very thankfully growing increasingly distant in my life's rear view mirror) that vendors always replied that they'd never heard of the problem we were having with equipment they'd provided....only to find that their field service engineers (who don't tend to be product marketing/customer interaction types) have spent a great deal of time dealing with the specific problem those folks deny exists.

I have have quite a few RIO lines and haven't any problems yet, probably because they haven't been used as heavily as y'awl do...but I certainly intend give them plenty of abuse now that I'm retired.

I should also mention I had more problems with flyline coatings cracking (especially with the SA textured flylines like the sharkskins) because of my bad habit of stripping line off the flyreel against the reel frame at a very sharp angle (preparing to cast). It no doubt contributed to unnecessary friction heat and excessive flyline coating distortion (relative to the flyline core). My coating deterioration issues have markedly decreased after working hard to learn to pull line off the reel towards the rod tip (tangential to flyreel arbor) by keeping the line under my index finger with my hand on the rod grip. Just a thought.

 

[tkww]

After burning through a few Rio dry lines, I decided to explore other options. Having had good experiences with their spey heads, I tied a Airflo dry line. It was horrible. Weird kinking that would never straight out, low floating, and a texture that was somehow annoying to handle.
Regardless, no more Rio dry lines. They just don't last. I wish someone could get the message to SA that their lines don't all need to be two weights heavier.